Cultural Mission For National Integration
Dr. Fr.V.P.Joseph Valiyaveetil established the National Heritage Study Centre and Kreupasanam Pauranika Rangakalapeedom in 1991 in order to document , rejuvenate and represent all the dying coastal traditional art forms and keep alive the cultural spirit of the community.It is the sole institution working for this unique renaissance of minority culture and art for the last twenty five years. As a writer,composer, director, performing artist, Fr. V.P. Joseph stimulated insight into foregrounding the Indian cultural heritage in the Global space. He has done innumerable efforts for the re-discovering, strengthening, popularizing and rejuvenating the culture and art heritage of India by reviving the nearly extinct traditional folk arts ,established a training academy so as to provide training to the young generation thereby safeguarding, maintaining and recreating the intangible cultural heritage and helping to enrich cultural diversity and human creativity.
Cultural Activities Include
∎ Activities for Preservation
Coastal Folk Art Audio-Visual Digital Live Meseum
Kreupasanam live museum is designed to introduce the coastal art forms into the hearts of the public by making use of the modern technologies. This Coastal Folk Art audio visual digital live museum is the first of its kind in India!
Costume Gallery
Costume Gallery is an open exhibition scenario that expose most of all sort of ancient and recent varities of costumes using in coastal performing arts. The inner area of museum is displayed below.
Library
In order to revive these lost art forms, a vision and mission of this project was prepared. The first goal was to find out the ancient original books on it, then study it from the original masters along with its interpretations and protect the data in the archives to pass it on to the next generations. 52 such books have been studied and its copies are kept in the cultural- library for the use of the public.
Activities for Representation
Coastal Folk Art Representation
The National Heritage Ranga Kalapeedom has been set up for the representation of the coastal art forms. C There are 5 different schools for the chavittunadakams which are of 5 centuries old- like historical religious, social etc. Chavittunadakam has undergone some innovations which include social themes and environment consciousness relating to modern scenario
The revival of ancient kalarees (theatres)
These ancient kalarees (theatres where they do the practice) were revived so that upto 7 chavittunatakams can be practised there annually, preparing them for the stage shows. The duration of the play has been shortened like that of the professional dramas. So it can be performed before every kind of audience, which is an added advantage for the performers.
Chavittunadakam included as a competition event in the Kerala youth festival.
The constant efforts of Fr.V.P Joseph to reform and renew Chavittunadakam was realised when the State Government has approved to include it as a competition event in Kerala youth Festival.Time rearrangement - In ancient times it took 16 days for a Chavittunatakam, later it was cut short to 3 days. Kreupasanam shortened it to 3 hours, and further cut it short to one hour for the public. Finally it was rearranged for 12 minutes in the school youth festival.
The striving effort of Fr. V.P. Joseph for more than 20 years was fulfilled when the Govt. of Kerala included chavittunadakam as a competition item in the Kerala State youth festival. This has been a historical move so as to upgrade and uplift the marginalised coastal community. Expert Group comprising of Deputy Director to Education(DPI), Shri. Vinod Babu, DPI Public Relations Officer Shri S. Jayakumar and other panel members of committee approved the manual for the Chavittunadakam Play.
Chavittunatakam became International
This art form was born in the coastal belt, artists were trained there and stage shows also were limited in that region and it was about to perish there. It was practically impossible to perform it going around as a team of 70 people. When it was modified for international performance, they could easily perform it out side the state too. It was displayed in Bombay thrice, twice in Delhi,once in Madras, it was also invited to Kuwait and Muscat too. Training the team for international performance is a real achievement, a feather in the cap of Kreupasanam!
Chavittunadakam performance at Muscat
Chavittunadakam performance at Delhi
✧ A 16 day Chavittunadakam “Marthoma Sandesham” had been adapted to a 12 min show which was exhibited at Andheri stadium, Mumbai where 24 international channels telecasted the program.
A Media for Social Literacy
Chavittunatakam became an art form and a medium of social literacy making the common people aware of how they have been exploited by certain government policies. Kreupasanam has made a great social impact by introducing a Chavittunatakam Thirayum Theerakkattum'. It promoted in bringing to light the problems faced by the people in the coastal belt when the liquor lobby got hold of the coast and the sea being sold off to the foreign vessels. Another Chavittunatakam 'Samakaalikam' was staged protesting the policy of the Tourism lobby taking over the the coast unscientifically for their beach resorts.
This is how this historical and religious natured chavittunatakams were rebirthed as art forms for social justice! Directed Social chavittunadakam- Samakalikam - throwing light on the contemporary social issues and problems was successfully performed by beautifully blending dance and music. it was proved that chavittunadakam can be aptly used for social criticism.
Activites for Rejuvenation of Folk Arts
Workshops/ Seminars/ Conferences
Thamper - Coastal folkart festival
To promote Heritage art and culture, thereby enhance research in literature, music and classics and to popularise the traditional art forms, every year ,Coastal folk art festival ,Thamper, is conducted for 10 consecutive days in the month of January at Arthunkal, Alappuzha. This festival, conducted by Kreupasanam for the last 12 years, is a venue for the traditional artists to perform their art forms. The contributions made by traditional artists are honored with memento and cash prizes.
Efforts for the Rejuvenation of Traditional Folk Arts
Fr.V.P.Joseph has taken striving effort for the rejuvenation of other coastal folk art forms like, Parichakali, Annavippattukal, Devastavili, Ammanappattukal, Puthenpana, Kadal vanchippattukal, Slamacarol, Pichapattukal...
Activities for Recapturing the Coastal Folkart Forms
In 1985 Dr Fr VP Joseph, while starting his ministry along the coastal area, came to know that all the precious art forms had disappeared from our culture. Our country is unique in upholding its unity amidst diversity, father identified this as a great national loss . He viewed the reviving of it as a project of national integration. Hence he formed an institution to protect these folk art forms and make available for future generations. The organisation ,Kreupasanam National Heritage study centre was registered in 1992. The Centre serves as a hub for the development, preservation, promotion and dissemination of culture and promotes intercultural dialogue for the promotion of national unity through communtiy interactions
Activities for Promotion of Folkarts
Coastal Folk Art Training Academy and research centre
Training is given for the budding artists in the coastal folk art academy. In Pallithodu centre, there is open air auditorium and training facility in theory as well as practical classes-by expert teachers. The children write the aptitude test and more than 500 students have availed the stipend from government.
Research Centre
National Heritage Study Centre and Kreupasanam Pauranika Rangakalapeedam facilitates the academic students who are interested in coastal arts to refer and study about the literature of coastal folk theatre in comparison with other Indian classical art forms.Valuable collection of the ancient scripts of chavittunadakam and CD presentation of all folklore arts of Kerala are the main attraction of the centre. The exquisite museum enhance the students to diversify their ideas and do further research in the field of coastal arts.Costume Gallery is exibhited which expose ancient and recent varieties of costumes used in folk arts.
Study hall, living rooms and well organised library opens new platform for research. The permanent stage at the centre gives the opportunity for continuous training in heritage arts and also opens the venue for the presentation of art forms for the international and national community who are greatly interested in folklore and heritage arts.
Cultural News letter
Kreupasanam publishes a monthly newsletter circulating more than one lakh copies which features articles on coastal art forms. This acts as a medium for these art forms to reach the public.
Annaavi Welfare Foundation
This was established for the welfare of the senior artists. They are now getting perision and stipend from the government. Fr.V.P.Joseph has been working last Twenty Five years to support Chavittunadaka artists by attaining pensions for them from the Government. all attempts were successfully fulfilled as the Government, for the first time in the history of Kerala, has sanctioned pensions for elderly Chavittunadaka artists.
Audio - visual Documentary Activities
Documentary An Asset to Kerala Folk arts-Produced first ever Chavittunadaka documentary film in Malayalam, Samskrithiyude Samanwayam It broadly covers the origin, literature, songs, acting styles, gestures, choreographies etc of the age old art form Chavittunadakam in a span of one hour. This documentary of course adds fuel to the dying embers by rejuvenating the art with all its splendour. The documentary candidly researches the changes that have occurred to the art form during the vast span of 400 years on the backdrop of sea and the coastal region.
National Award-winning Indian film director and cinematographer, Shaji N Karun's “Kutty Sranku” which was presented in the Cannes film festival cast by Mollwood superstar Mammooty helped to introduce Chavittunadakam to international audience. Thirty artists including Mammooty were given skilful training by Alappuzha Kreupasanam Pouranika Rangakala Peedom and Fr.V.P Joseph.
As part of the efforts to develop and enrich Chavittu Nadakam and also to present it before the international community, Kreupasanam cooperated with the production of the feature film Kutty Sranku directed by the renowned Indian film maker Mr. Shaji. N. Karun. In the film about 60 artists from Kreupasanam participated.
Museum is designed to reach the ancient coastal folkart forms in people’s mind with help of modern technology.It is known as audio-visual digital live museum,because when the light falls on different coastal art forms and charecters placed in the museum,audience can hear the audio explanation of related artform/character history and visual representation of the same coastal folk-art form with LCD projector.Walls portrayed with Mudras(hand gestures) of coastal artform are great attraction of the museum.
